epiphytes, cassowarys, and nomads, O MY! Past Review
By Mary M (BSHS, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota) for
The School for Field Studies / SFS: Australia – Rainforest studies
I gained knowledge about the rainforest and cultures surrounding it in both oz and nz. I made some amazing life long friends and had some spectacular adventures.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Dont call your professors "professor". academically all of the assignments were really relevant to what we were learning and we were given a fair amount of time to do them. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All of the staff and administration was excited and willing to help us get the best experience possible. They took into account that we were still young adults wanting to have fun but also made sure that we followed strict rules. The only weakness was that at time the rules became a bit repetitive but understandably so. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
The food was too good. This trip is not best to loose weight because everything was so delicious!! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
In New Zealand we stayed with a family of Mauri aboriginals and it was an excellent experience. They were nothing like we imagined. The family was modernized but still extremely in touch with the Mauri culture. We were able to learn and absorb alot of information. It was an amazing experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Everything was very safe. If there were any situations where we were not in earshot of staff we would be given information on how to quickly get in contact with them. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Always say yes. There are some experiences that may not be your cup of tea,like licking ant butts, but this is a once in a life time experience and youll never know unless you try! |
